15th May 2019
More than 400 meetings scheduled between Irish exporters and Multinationals as part of a joint “Global Sourcing” programme
Today, Minister Heather Humphreys TD and Minister Pat Breen TD commenced a two-day Trade and Investment Mission to Dublin and Cork. Organised by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, the annual mission is a key element of the agencies’ joint ‘Global Sourcing’ programme which aims to create business opportunities for Irish-owned companies with Multinationals (MNCs) based in Ireland.
Over the course of the two days, more than 400 pre-arranged one-to-one meetings are scheduled to take place between 188 Irish suppliers and 96 MNCs based in Ireland. The scheduled meetings offer an invaluable opportunity to Irish companies seeking credible access to procurement teams in global MNCs. Open networking sessions will also take place to allow for further informal meeting opportunities.
Providing MNCs with direct access to potential local suppliers, the mission is an important platform for raising awareness of the capabilities of innovative Irish SMEs across a range of sectors.
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD said: “This trade mission is about showcasing the products and services of innovative Irish companies to multinationals based in Ireland. There are hundreds of Irish companies already working with multinationals here and strong partnerships have built up over time. This is a ‘win win’ for everyone involved – Irish companies can scale and go global more quickly, and multinationals can get the cutting-edge solutions they need from their base in Ireland. All in all, it makes good business sense and I am delighted that the Government is supporting such a worthwhile initiative in line with our Future Jobs Ireland strategy.”
Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital, Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD added: “The existence of high quality regionally based companies who can service multinational companies helps to make Ireland a world-class location for MNCs. The government recognises the need to maximise the mutually beneficial trading relationship between these two groups. Enterprise Ireland’s Global Sourcing programme is key to generating contract wins which ultimately result in the creation of jobs in regional locations as well as potential business opportunities for Irish companies.”
IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “This collaboration between IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland is focused on bolstering the links between indigenous Irish companies and multinational companies. This Investment Mission provides multinational companies with direct access to potential suppliers and promotes greater engagement between the two groups. Closer relationships through enhanced integration will bring huge benefits to local economies across the country and ultimately promote Ireland as a welcoming pro-business destination.”
Stephen Creaner, Executive Director, Food, Industrial, Lifesciences and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is focused on helping Irish companies to build scale and expand reach internationally and the Global Sourcing programme is a key element of that drive to support the global ambition of these companies. In partnership with IDA Ireland, our dedicated Global Sourcing team works closely with client companies who want to develop and consolidate business relationships with MNCs based in Ireland. Over the next two days, Enterprise Ireland supplier companies will come from all over the country to meet with IDA companies in Dublin and Cork with the aim of creating local connections that could become global opportunities.”
ENDS
For further information contact:
Conor O’Donovan, Head of Communications, Enterprise Ireland, Tel: 01 7272912 conor.odonovan@enterprise-ireland.com
Brigid Burke, Press Office, Enterprise Ireland, Tel: 087 1803995 brigid.burke@enterprise-ireland.com
Ellen Lynch, Communications Executive, IDA Ireland, Tel: 087 4112084 ellen.lynch@ida.ie
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